Moirai
by Sashoyana
Summary: Intelligent, caring and sweet, Sakura have had a normal life as far back as she could remember. Yet she feels fractured, incomplete. A memory in the horizon just out of reach with an uncanny sense of power growing within.When fate sends her to a recalcitrant king-rebelling against Gods-will they both find the answers they seek or crush each other with differing ego.


**MOIRAI**

**Author's note: This is a story set in another world where magic, spells, power and Gods exist and the civilization though young but well established with definite structure. Here I have borrowed only the characters from the manga Naruto but the story of this fanfiction is mine. So, there will be some obvious deviations from the original character and relations. Therefore, I would like to repeat that the characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto but this story is completely mine. Enjoy!**

**Prologue**

It is said that the men with the hardest of heart sometimes harbor the strongest of emotions. No matter how strong-willed they may be, no matter how hard their heart is; they show the fiercest of emotions. Give them a battle and they may come out unscathed both mentally and physically, able to sleep at night guilt free like a baby. But the softer emotions; it brings them down hard. So hard that it becomes impossible to even think about ever getting up, of ever recovering.

And that is what Kizashi felt. Taken down, debellated, drained, beat, wasted. _None of them physical._ And then he felt anger, emotions that of a caged and crippled animal, raging inside a cage but unable to do anything. Guilty, desperate; _defeated._

_LOVE; how the it flays, maims, and weakens a person like no other. _How can the seemingly softest of emotions bring forth such havoc and destruction? He had always considered himself a strong man able to keep what was his, able to protect from any dangers that might lurk in the dark to cause harm. Until today.

Today he has failed, he thought as he watched the bodies of men he had ruthlessly killed lying on the mud in the clearing in front of him. Soldiers sent to kill his wife.

Kizashi had not let his guard down ever, not even in all his peaceful years. He had been careful, not to let the veil of bliss overcome his own senses of a hardened warrior. He had confirmed that they remained untraceable and ensconced.

He had killed each one of these dogs for ever even thinking of taking his family from him. And yet he lost her. And what wrecked him even more was the fact that she had gone willingly, to protect what was so precious to them even more than her life. Their baby. And when she had known that she could keep har family safe, no sacrifice had been great enough for her not even her own life. She gave it up so easily just so she could see her family safe.

Hunched over the place where his wife Mebuki once stood he had fallen to his knees. After the bloodshed, his wife had known that the enemies would never let them stay hidden; and so had called upon a powerful essence for help, but had to give out something in return. To keep her child from harm in exchange of her vitality. "A fair trade", _it _had said. To lose the one person he literally had to fight the world for- never had a trade been more unfair.

But the essence had been benevolent. Kind enough to leave a tether to his wife's pith in the form of an ether stone. _To remember her by_ it had said. He clutched the slip of a chain in his fist harder. The only way he was going to remember thus day was the day he lost every thing

_No, not every thing _his shattered heart remembered_. You still have so much left._

The thought had not yet been completed in this mind when he suddenly got up and started running down the slop and into the forest towards his home.

NO. He had not lost everything and he would die to keep from losing what was left. What was his. Seething over the thought, his body pumping the adrenaline that scattered any remnants of tiredness, muscles straining, his muddled brain becoming clearer with each passing mile that he left behind to head to his home. NO, he promised, he _vowed _not to lose again. And the vow of a seijn warrior was not to taken lightly, _never_ to be broken. NOT even he himself. Even the sky agreed, bringing the promise of a storm in the horizon, just like the one brewing in his heart.

He was close to his home compound now at the edge of other settlement areas-giving them the privacy from any prying eyes both malevolent and benevolent- visible over the slight elevation of the ground resembling a slight hill. He could see Akihiro standing sentinel over the house after Kizashi had left with a sudden command when he had sensed danger. His trusted friend and once his second in command during Kizashi's duty towards the queen, Akihiro had never failed to follow him in each of his struggles over time. Later when Kizashi stepped down from his duty to the crown to pursue a life of peace and away from battle, Akihiro had followed him blindly too. His loyalty had always laid with Kizashi – he had said- ever since he had saved Akihiro life twice

Kizashi had trusted him then, he trusts him now.

"Clear the house, prepare the carriage and anything that you can take, destroy anything you cannot and put a spell in place to barricade against discovery. We are never to return and must leave now. Right now." Kizashi barked voice low but laced with steel. He need not ask twice, as Akihiro knew what his former leader had meant and knew better than to ask questions. Kizashi turned towards the entrance of the house leaving Akihiro to prepare.

As he entered, he immediately went upstairs to the nursery where his child was sleeping. While moving to the upper story of the house he took in everything that he could, soaking up the memories he had made with his beloved over so many years together. A house which they had built together and turned it into a home. A safe haven for so long before he had the joy of having a daughter. Happiness had doubled then, multiplying till he could not fathom the thought of any man happier than him in this whole melancholic world. And now he was robbed of half of his world heart shredded and lost along with this place he had called home- for the first time ever in life- tearing his world apart.

in a red haze of anger, desperation and the cruelty of the situation. He of all people should know that life is often times unjust, inequitable and unjustifiable and he needed his mind as razor sharp and keen as he has honed it for so long. He would mourn later, after making sure he did what was to be done to keep his girl safe. _His Sakura. _

_You haven't lost everything. You have so much left._

Turning right from the stairs he entered the arched hallway to the left of which was a nursery. He stood near the doorway just away from the soft light of a lamp lit beside the bed where his five-year-old daughter bundled in a thick wool layered blanket sleeping restlessly. Hunched near her bed over her sleeping figure was Melita, the older caretaker and Sakura's baby sitter. More than ten times Sakura's age the Melita had taken Sakura as her granddaughter as soon as Mebuki had given birth. Old Mel had once been happily married with a son, both of whom she had lost to disease after which Mebuki had taken her in and helped her rebuild her life again. Melita had been with them ever since.

"She sleeps fitfully tonight" said she urgently with a worried frown visible on her face. "Like being in a nightmare but not able to wake up, like it was gripping her. She even had episodes of fever and then a sudden chill." Then she looked up to Kizashi and gasped, then starred in soundless horror as she took in the silhouetted figure of his. He knew what she saw. Blood smeared face and spattered over his body-none of which was his- and the waves of danger rolling of him in waves. But the most horrifying of all must have been his eyes. He knew it, sensed it. Still, he ignored her and entered the room and had just reached for Sakura when he drew back. No, he wouldn't let filth touch her and right now he was filthy from his skin to his soul.

"What happened?" Mel asked slowly still shocked and confused. "And where is mistress? Did something happen to her? Why are you so bloodied?"

Then he looked t her and invested his hard command with each ounce of urgency and steel. "Listen to me carefully. Mebuki is gone, but know that she willingly gave up her life for seeing her family safe. But we can't stay here as the protection is compromised. Prepare to leave immediately. Take everything you can. Anything left will be destroyed."

"Leave this place…" she whispered looking every bit of confounded and overwhelmed, her eyes firing a thousand questions of which nothing came out of her mouth. Good for her, he thought, he did not think he could have answered all of them without shredding his heart with his own dagger. And also, his voice had brooked no space for questions but for immediate obedience.

He turned from the room again not waiting to see that she had already started to prepare as per his order. He went straight to his room and cleaned himself. Travelling like he was right now would gain him only suspicious stares and none of the help. Nobody liked to harbor any man running from law or towards it. Even though he was confident enough about his own animal sense of survival beaten into him since his early age, he would like not endanger Sakura from anything that can be avoided. And also, he had an advantage that would help him out of here without harm. That person would arrange everything that they would ever need all throughout while ensuring that they remain safe and undetected. That person wanted something that only Kizashi had and Kizashi was going to unabashedly take his help while dangling that person's favorite treat. He had already sent to notify that person that afternoon when ha had already sensed danger before everything happened. He wasn't going to compromise on Sakura's safety ever again.

Leaving his bedroom after dressing and packing only what is necessary, he entered his and library where he had kept his secret stash of weapons. Being a former soldier and them working for her majesty personally had shaped him and that habit had always stuck. Weapons had been his first mistress. They were as much a part of him as this wife and daughter have later become. That's why had never let his weapons rust, he had cared for them and had used them if only to practice. But now he would use them as he had before, not only to save but also to kill. He took them, dressing with them for the road.

When he went downstairs to the kitchen, he saw Melita working shortly with the food they would be taking for the journey. On the slab bags that most presumably contained Sakura's and Melita's belongings. Akihiro came into the hall then.

"Is everything ready?" asked Kizashi. "Yes" Akihiro answered.

Kizashi had a decent amount of experience with Akihiro, being his former leader. They had traveled far and wide to do the queen's bidding. From his acquaintance, he need not ask twice that everything was indeed ready. "Go get Sakura" he ordered Melita then. As she hurried down to the entrance way Kizashi took the frail bundle still sleeping though more tranquilly. He knew what had ailed her then, what had caused her such agony.

"_Your child will be protected for life, her endowment regressed,_

_for her identity to remain hidden and her embarkation to remain unknown."_

This promise by those entity had been the reason why his wife had agreed to the exchange. The fever had been the concomitant to fulfillment of the deal.

As they went through the back yard to the sheds, Kizashi looked back one last time at the place he had called home. Outside the gate the place would now look old and crumbling, left in the lurch, forsaken and forgotten by its previous occupants. Akihiro's spell would ensure that it remains that way and ensure that no other malicious forces ever tracks them to the place they would be going to.

After making sure that Melina and his daughter were safe in the carriage driven by Akihiro, He rode his own steed before them so he could make sure of their safety.

As they rode down the dirt path slightly out of the main and then into the forest, he realized that this was the first time that did not know where they would end up. _Just like the time when he had taken his wife. _He just knew the path but did not know where it led.

He had lost his wife. But would not lose his daughter. _He would not lose again. _

They rode through the jungle just out of the road then diverged completely taking themselves to the lesser known paths trodden through the forest. The narrow road was barely enough space but safe from any intruders. It would take them at least four hours to reach the next village but they were going to bypass it and ride hard for seven hours to reach for Sangon valley. The small place was where their contact would be waiting for them.


End file.
